On Saturday, July 20, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour played the final round of the 2019 PKBGT Precision Girls’ Championship at Bryan Park Golf Course (Champions) in Greensboro, NC.
Whether a rooster’s crow or an iPhone alarm clock was the source, competitors rose bright and early Saturday for a morning slate of tee times. In an effort to beat the sun, the final round kicked off the Champions Course at 8:30 a.m. sharp.
Both leaderboards at the 17th playing of the PKBGT Precision Girls’ Championship were jam-packed following the first round of play. A matter of strokes separated the top five of the Futures National division while a two-under-par first-round performance from Jacyln Kenzl (Southern Pines, NC 2020) provided a two-stroke cushion entering Saturday.
In partnership with Precision Golf School, the field of 51 took to the home course of both PGS and the PKBGT for a two-day test of Bryan Park’s prized possession. With the backdrop of Lake Townsend off in the distance, groups powered through their final nine in hopes of one last push toward the top of the leaderboard.
Two rounds, tons of water and an exhilarating finish later, let’s take a look at how the leaderboard fared at the conclusion of the 2019 PKBGT Precision Girls’ Championship!
Bell National
Strolling through the finish line atop the Bell National leaderboard, Molly Hardwick (Lexington, SC 2022) took home the top prize in Greensboro on Saturday. Hardwick rode a final-round 70 (-2) to victory, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 11th and 2 birdies on the front nine. Finishing the tournament with a two-day total score of 72, 70 = 142 (-2), Hardwick captured her first PKBGT Championship title with a five-stroke victory!
Finishing runner-up, with a two-day total score of 72, 75 = 147 (+3), Kiera Bartholomew (Westampton, NJ 2023) put together a solid showing at Bryan Park. Bartholomew, playing in just her fourth PKBGT event, posted five birdies over the two days on the challenging Champions course.
Just one stroke back in third place, Maria Atwood (Holly Springs, NC 2022) finished the event with a total score of 73, 75 = 148 (+4). Atwood, a rising high school sophomore, finished T1 in last year’s Precision Girl’s Championship to post back-to-back top 3 finishes in the event.
Macy Pate (Boone, NC 2024) earned a spot toward the top of the leaderboard this weekend after posting scores of 76, 73 = 149(+5). Pate, one of the youngest players in the Bell field, posted three birdies in her final round.
Rounding out the Bell National top five, in a tie for fifth place were Jaclyn Kenzel (Southern Pines, NC 2020) and Autumn Carey (Manning, SC 2022) in the 17th playing of the Precision Girls’ Championship. Kenzel posted rounds of 70,80= 150 (+6) and Carey rounds of 73,77=150(+6).
Futures National
Nudging past a crowded top of the Futures National leaderboard, Sophie Lauture (Raleigh, NC 2024) brought home the championship trophy on Saturday afternoon. Her 79, 73 = 152 (+8) over the two-day tournament was enough to outlast the remainder of the field and earn the win. Lauture’s victory at the 17th Precision Girls Championship was her THIRD PKBGT Championship title of 2019!
In a close contest, Ellen Yu (High Point, NC 2026) fell just short of the win this weekend. Finishing with a two-day total score of 78, 76 = 154(+10), Yu earned runner-up honors after carding 4 birdies and an eagle on the par 5 11th.
Just two strokes back, Grace Ridenour (Cary, NC 2025) posted rounds of 77,79= 156 (+12) to finish in third place. With her strong performance at the Precision Junior Girls Championships, Ridenour is now three for three in top 3 finishes in 2019 PKBGT Championship events.
Finishing in fourth place was Hope Garcia (Suffolk, VA 2023) after posting rounds of 76,81=157 (+13). Garcia had three birdies over the course of the tournament.
Rounding out the top five in fifth place was McKayla Daffin (Fayetteville, NC 2021) who finished with rounds of 75,83=158 (+14). Daffin had four birdies during the event, carding three during her first round of 75.
Closing Remarks
We would like to thank Bryan Park Golf Course for their hospitality in hosting this weekend’s event. A special thanks to Precision Golf School for presenting the championship event in our backyard! Congratulations to all of our top finishers in the 17th PKBGT Precision Girls’ Championship!
Final Leaderboard
About the PKBGT
Founded in 2007 by the Triad Youth Golf Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, as a local girls’ golf tour in the Triad region of North Carolina, the tour began as a simple concept: create more effective competitive playing opportunities for girls. By utilizing innovative yardage-based divisions instead of the traditional age-based format, the tour focused on developing tournament experience at the player’s pace. The 2019 season will feature over 90 tournaments in 9 states on the East Coast and with over 900 members, the PKBGT is the largest girl’s only tour in the country. Learn more about the PKBGT at http://www.pkbgt.org/.
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